germany unit 1

• The First World War ended

  1918
• Germany was defeated by the combined forces of Britain, France, Russia, Italy and the USA
• Friedrich Ebert, leader of the Social Democratic Party, became the first German President and Germany was declared a republic
• Impact of WWI on Germany

  • 2 million German troops died
  • Over 4 million wounded
  • Germany's debt increased from 50 billion marks to 150 billion marks
  • The British navy was preventing supply ships from reaching German ports, leading to food shortages and more than 750,000 Germans died from malnutrition
  • Food shortages led to riots and strikes across Germany
  • Soldiers and sailors began to refuse to follow orders, triggering the German Revolution
• The German Revolution, 1918-19


  1. Early October 1918 - New government formed by Prince Max of Baden

  2. End of October 1918 - Kiel Mutiny, German sailors refuse to fight the British

  3. November 9th 1918 - Kaiser abdicates

  4. November 10th 1918 - New republic set up under Frederich Ebert

  5. November 11th 1918 - Ebert signs the ARMISTICE with the Allies
• Setting up the Weimar Republic

  • Civil servants who had run the country with the Kaiser were kept in office
  • The army would not be reformed, in return the army kept the new republic in power
  • Industry was assured the new republic would not nationalise private industry
  • Trade unions - Ebert promised leaders the republic would try to achieve an 8 hour day
• Democratic government was established by the drawing up of a new constitution in the town of Weimar
• Strengths of the Weimar Constitution

  • Proportional representation made sure small parties had a fair share of seats
  • Women and men both able to vote
  • Voting age reduced from 25 to 21
  • No one group could have too much power
  • President elected every 7 years
  • Central government more powerful than before
  • Freedom of speech and religion was established
• Weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution

  • Proportional Representation led to multiple parties in the Reichstag which made it very difficult to reach agreements on some issues
  • Lack of strong government led to weakness in a crisis that ended up in the president passing laws without the full consent of the Reichstag
  • The people had not chosen the republic and saw Ebert and his ministers as the 'November Criminals'
  • The Reichsrat could challenge the Reichstag
• 'Stab in the Back Theory'


  Many Germans believed the German army had not lost on the battlefield but had in fact been 'stabbed in the back' by disloyal politicians who signed the Armistice in November 1918
• Different groups were blamed for Germany's surrender and few Germans accepted the reality that their army had been defeated
• Treaty of Versailles


  Seen by many as a DIKTAT or dictated peace, as the Allies refused to allow the German representatives to join the discussion on what was to happen to Germany
• Main terms of the Treaty of Versailles 1919

  • War Guilt Clause - Germany had to accept total blame for the war
  • Germany lost 10% of its population, 13% of its European territory, all overseas property, almost 50% of its iron, 15% of its coal
  • Reparations - Germany had to pay the Allies for damage to their countries
  • Colonies - Germany lost its colonies in Africa
  • Military terms - Army reduced to 100,000 men, German Navy allowed just 6 battleships, no air force, Rhineland became a demilitarised zone
  • Territorial terms - Alsace-Lorraine and the coalfields of the Saar region given to France, Danzig made an international city, West Prussia and upper Silesia to Poland
• The treaty was unpopular and made the Weimar Republic weak from the start
• The Spartacist Revolt - 1919


  • The Spartacists wanted to overthrow the Weimar Government and replace it with local councils run by soldiers and workers
  • Chancellor Ebert had to rely on an illegal army of ex-soldiers called the Freikorps to stop the uprising
  • The Freikorps dealt brutally with anyone who was on strike or protesting against the government - 100 workers were killed and the leaders, Liebknecht and Luxemburg, were also murdered
• The Kapp Putsch - 1920


  • The Freikorps, a right-wing group of ex-soldiers, marched on Berlin to overthrow the Weimar government and create a new right-wing government
  • Ebert ordered the army to stop the Freikorps, but they refused to obey their orders
  • The Weimar government fled and Wolfgang Kapp was briefly declared leader of Germany
  • The Weimar government ordered the workers of Berlin to go on strike, which brought Berlin to a standstill and caused Kapp to flee
• Between 1919 and 1922 extreme left and right-wing groups caused chaos by assassinating leading politicians, with over 400 assassinations in Germany
• By December 1922 Germany was unable to pay the reparations ordered by the Treaty of Versailles, leading to the Ruhr Crisis of January 1923
• Effects of hyperinflation in 1923

  • People could not afford essentials such as food and fuel to heat their homes
  • People lost their life savings
  • Old age pensions became worthless
  • Many businesses went bankrupt
  • Wages rose but not as quickly as prices
  • People swapped goods and services rather than using money
• There were over 400 assassinations in Germany between 1919 and 1922 including Matthias Erzberger, a left-wing politician who had signed the Treaty of Versailles
• By December 1922 Germany was unable to pay the reparations that had been ordered by the Treaty of Versailles
• Ruhr Crisis of January 1923


  1. France and Belgium sent troops to occupy the Ruhr area of Germany

  2. Germany ordered passive resistance against the French invaders

  3. Workers in the Ruhr went on strike

  4. Fewer goods were being produced

  5. German government had to print more money to pay the workers
• This led to HYPERINFLATION and in November 1923, the German mark was worthless
• Effects of hyperinflation


  • People could not afford essentials such as food and fuel to heat their homes
  • People lost their life savings
  • Old age pensions became worthless
  • Many businesses went bankrupt
  • Wages rose but not as quickly as prices
  • People swapped goods and services rather than using money
  • Children would play with piles of worthless banknotes
• Hyperinflation had severely damaged Weimar's reputation and popularity


  • Weimar was seen to be weak and disorganised for allowing prices to get out of control
  • The Middle classes who would normally support the Weimar Republic had suffered badly with hyperinflation. They had lost their savings. Many middle-class Germans did not forget this. The loss of their savings in 1923 caused them to lose faith in democracy and was one reason why they were prepared to vote for extreme parties like the Nazis in the early 1930s
  • Germans added hyperinflation to the 'list of failings' of the Weimar Republic – which included agreeing to the Armistice and signing the Treaty of Versailles
• In August 1923, Ebert appointed Gustav Stresemann chancellor and foreign secretary
• Stresemann


  • Many saw Stresemann as the saviour of Germany in the 1920s
  • He was Chancellor only from August to November 1923, but he kept the post of Foreign Minister until his death in 1929
• Stresemann's first priority was to get the French out of the Ruhr


  1. In 1923 he called off passive resistance and the strikers went back to work

  2. This reduced the tensions with the French and it also meant that the government was no longer paying the striking workers' wages

  3. Germany agreed to start paying reparations again and the French removed their soldiers from the Ruhr
• New currency (the Rentenmark)


  • Stresemann restored people's faith in paper money
  • He introduced the Rentenmark, a new currency
  • The value of the Rentenmark was tied to land and he set up a new national bank to support the currency – this meant that it had real value and people trusted that it would not have the same problems as the old Reichsmark
• Dawes Plan


  1. Reduced the reparations to £50 million per year

  2. Agreed a longer time for Germany to make the payments

  3. Agreed that America would loan Germany £40 million to invest in rebuilding its industries
• Benefits of the Dawes Plan

  • The money from the Daws Plan helped Germany to recover – the output of German industry doubled as a result of the investment
  • Germany could also afford to make the reparations payments which meant that the French left the Ruhr
  • There were also more jobs which reduced unemployment and gave Germans more money to spend
• Locarno Pact –1925


  1. An agreement between Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Belgium

  2. Germany agreed to keep to its existing boarders

  3. Agreed that countries would not invade their neighbouring countries

  4. Improved relations with France

  5. Increased the reputation of the Weimar Republic and led to Germany being treated on equal terms by other countries
• The Locarno Pact reinforced some of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, such as the demilitarisation of the Rhineland – this angered extremist parties
• Germany joined the League of Nations in 1926


  1. The League of Nations was set up in 1920 as a club of the most powerful countries

  2. Their aim was to discuss world issues and avoid wars

  3. Germany's views now counted more and would be listened to

  4. The Weimar Republic was more respected abroad
• Some Germans did not want Germany to join the League of Nations as it was seen as a symbol of the Treaty of Versailles
• Kellogg-Briand Pact- 1928


  1. An agreement between 62 nations around the world

  2. The countries who signed the agreement promised to avoid war in the future

  3. Germany signing the Treaty showed that it was an equal power to other counties

  4. Signing the Treaty also made other countries trust Germany more

  5. Made Germans feel more secure about the future
• Some Germans hoped that by signing the Pact they would be allowed to increase the size of their army – however, the limit of 100,000 soldiers was kept
• Topic Seven - Changes in society, 1924-29


  The period 1924-29 is often described as the "Golden Age" of the Weimar Republic
• Changes in the living standard

  • Wages rose steadily after 1924
  • Unemployment fell and most Germans could find a well-paid job
  • Between 1924 and 1931more than 2 million homes were built
  • Homelessness had been reduced by more than 60%
  • A new group of architects and designers emerged called the Bauhaus, this led to innovation in building
  • 3% of workers' earnings were deducted to be put towards benefits if they became sick or unemployed
• Changes in the position of women

  • Women over 20 given the vote in 1919
  • By 1926 there were 32 women in the Reichstag
  • The Weimar constitution introduced equality in education and equal pay
  • Women had equal rights within marriage
  • The Weimar Republic saw the rise of New Women
  • A growing number of women found jobs in new areas of employment